X-Lab Systems are a health-tech company that specialise in connecting diagnostic systems across the globe.
UX/UI Design
WEB APP DESIGN
Role
Freelance Senior Product Designer.
Electronic lab testing requests in the UK were limited to hospitals and general practices only, which meant that everyone else in occupation health was limited to paper-based requests, resulting in inefficient and unsafe processes.
Errors in diagnosis
4.4%
Diagnostic errors were occurring in approx. 4.4% of all consultations,
Time-consuming processes
~52m
On average, 52 minutes was spent filling out manual forms, significantly impacting clinical decision-making.
Impact on patient safety
37%
37% of all test requests in the UK contained some aspect of patient misidentification.
Source: Consensus - Cheraghi-Sohi et al., 2018, 2021, Litchfield et al., 2015
To start, I mapped out the test ordering flow with technical considerations, in collaboration with the Product Manager and Engineering Lead. This ensured my designs would be robust enough to accommodate future changes and additions.
Originally, the flow for ordering a lab test was made up of the following steps.
I aimed to balance user input and automation to prevent errors while ensuring enough ‘friction’ to prompt the requester to consider their actions and feel confident in their input.
Fine tuning the flow
After testing various prototypes both internally and externally, it became evident that the flow was incomplete. Two key steps were missing:
1. Order date – allowing tests to be requested immediately or scheduled for a later date.
2. Clinical details – adding an extra layer of information to the request, to help prevent errors between the requester and the testing lab.
Order date
The requester could now specify whether their order was immediate or scheduled for a future date right from the start of the test ordering process.
Search for a patient & Patient details
Originally, numerous patient details were required to progress, with minimal automation. Which was easier to implement but placed the responsibility on the requester to get things correct.
Including a ‘search for a patient’ feature streamlined the process for the requester by autofilling the patient’s details where relevant.
Selecting tests
Selecting tests underwent several iterations to balance function and form. Initially, it involved simply searching for a test. Later, I tested the idea of grouping tests, such as a full blood test, which includes specimen details.
The final test selection method subtly yet effectively combined both approaches, allowing users to select a test and specify specimen types if needed.
Clinical details
By incorporating a clinical details step, the requester gained the ability to input, add and remove clinical details through a free text field.
Specimen details
This step was vital for preserving the accuracy of information transfer between the requester and the testing lab. The specimen type and associated tests were seamlessly carried over from the test selection step, and the requester had the option to generate a barcode if needed. Furthermore, they could view the required container type (colour-coded) and specify the collection time.
Order summary
The summary step prior to submitting the order was designed to verify the accuracy of all details and ensure that no information was overlooked.
The requester had several different ‘points of entry’ for receiving test results. In the initial stages, all options were open, so I mapped out the journey to address various considerations, providing technical perspective and aligning with the requester’s experience. Additionally, legal compliance was a crucial factor to consider.
SMS notifications were included for requesters who might not always have access to a computer, such as sports team physicians.
However, since a mobile experience was not part of the pilot phase, I designed a screen that gave the requester the top line results, but prompted them to use a computer to view the full report.
Receiving & reviewing test results
The requester had several different ‘points of entry’ for receiving test results. In the initial stages, all options were open, so I mapped out the journey to address various considerations, providing technical perspective and aligning with the requester’s experience. Additionally, legal compliance was a crucial factor to consider.
Pulling everything together
Ordering a test and getting results back could be accessed in isolation, but in order to sell this platform as a complete solution, there needed to be a home page to underpin everything.
Naming & brand refresh
Part way through my tenure with X-Lab, there was a request for a brand update to help bring the suite of products (of which there were two others) under one cohesive look and feel.
Blue sky exploration
Another aspect of my task was to help push the envelope of what could be achieved a lot further down the line conceptually with LabReach.
Results
Results
☑ Reduce remaining paper-based processes
☑ Bring on new business without the burden
☑ Fit for private hospitals, prisons, mental health
☑ Built securely, ready to scale
☑ Cloud-based, web-accessible, modern technologies